


When the Sun Sets and the World Turns

by queeneleanor



Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Adventure, Angst and Feels, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, F/F, Mutual Pining, Romance, Slow Burn, Useless Lesbians, Vampires, Werewolves, some canon divergence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-11
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:02:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24667312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queeneleanor/pseuds/queeneleanor
Summary: Katla is just trying to find adventure, bring glory to the Companions and keep her name out of that whole "Dragonborn" business. When she joins up with the Dawnguard in an effort to avoid her destiny, she unknowingly sets into motion events that are beyond her control. The responsibility of saving the world was the very thing Katla was running from, but what can she do once her heart gets involved?(AKA another f/f Dawnguard retelling that no one asked for!)
Relationships: Female Dovahkiin | Dragonborn/Serana
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	When the Sun Sets and the World Turns

**Author's Note:**

> Re-playing Skyrim with the Dawnguard DLC attached for the first time and you know what? I decided to churn out a re-telling of my own to throw here, on the internet. (We all have one big crush on Serana.) Who knows if this will ever be continued. 
> 
> Please leave kudos/a comment if you enjoy!

Katla had thought this day couldn’t get any worse, but was she ever wrong. 

Finding Dimhollow Crypt had been no easy task, and Katla had cursed Isran, that grumpy leader of the vampire hunters under her breath many times as she’d climbed up the frigid mountainside. Entering the cave had provided a short period of satisfaction—at least she was out of the biting wind—until the altercation with a few vampires further in. 

Despite Isran’s less-than-sunny personality, Katla had to admit that the Dawnguard had some merit. The crossbow given to her before setting out from the Fort had proved quite useful in her expedition through Dimhollow Crypt, if not a little clunky to reload. 

She had grown a little weary of completing small tasks for the Companions and there hadn’t been any Silver Hand sightings in weeks. Sitting around Jorrvaskr and drinking mead with Farkas and Aela was one way to pass the time, but Katla had felt her bones itching for another new adventure. And there was no way in hell she was going to pursue _that_ other thing.

Persuading the Whiterun Guards to keep quiet about the… _incident_ at the Watchtower had taken a good portion of coin, and Katla knew it was only a matter of time before one of them started wagging their tongues or Jarl Balgruuf summoned her to discuss _that_ again _._ With no Companion jobs that would guarantee her absence from Whiterun for at least a month, Katla had decided to travel to the Rift in search of the reformed Dawnguard. A few months on the road, hunting vampires and staying busy, and Katla hoped (somehow) that the whole…situation would be forgotten. Or at least her name wouldn’t be associated with it. 

What the Nord warrior hadn’t bargained for, however, was a group of vampires trying to do _something_ creepy with an ancient set of stone pillars and a bunch of glowing purple fire. Katla had seen her share of odd Nordic ruins, even the occasional Dwemer structure crawling with traps and ancient constructs, but she hadn’t expected whatever _this_ was. Now she had a gaping, bleeding hole in the middle of her right palm, not to mention countless other bruises and scrapes from her expedition through the Crypt. Katla thought longingly of the roaring fire and warm meals at Jorrvaskr while finishing off a healing potion.

Cursing Isran under her breath, she pushed the final pillar into what she thought would complete the puzzle. Evidently she was correct, as the stone pedestal in the middle of the chamber began to shake and sink into the ground. Eyebrows raised suspiciously, Katla quickly She kept her hand on the hilt of her sword, not knowing what to expect. 

A huge stone monolith emerged from the sunken hole in the floor, slowly rising until it came to a shuddering stop. Katla edged forward, the creepy feeling of this whole endeavour only increasing.

With the shriek of stone scraping on stone, the monolith’s face fell open, revealing—

_Is that a woman? Trapped inside?_ _And what’s that on her back?_ Katla could only stare for a brief moment before the figure inside stirred. She began to slide towards the ground, and Katla caught her without thinking. 

The woman groaned softly, raising her hands to her face. Katla removed her hands from the mysterious woman’s shoulders, torn between wariness and concern. 

“Hey, are you…” 

The rest of the question froze on Katla’s tongue when the woman raised her head to meet her gaze. Her first thought was that the woman was beautiful…perhaps the most beautiful woman Katla had seen. 

Then there were the glowing eyes as red as rubies staring back at her, set in a pale face.

_Vampire._ Katla rose and jumped back, instinctively drawing her sword. The woman slowly got to her feet, still swaying slightly. Katla noticed her eyes darting back and forth, taking in the cavern. Then the glowing gaze was on her.

Katla didn’t know what to do. Isran had sent her to Dimhollow to find out what the vampires were planning, but here was another vampire. Obviously, she had been locked away, or something else that warranted her confinement in the stone sarcophagus. Katla tightened her hand on her sword. 

_I’ll give it a chance to speak_ , she thought. _And then…_

“Uhhh…where is…who sent you here?” A soft voice interrupted her thoughts. The woman was still staring at Katla, eyes full of suspicion, but looked less groggy. 

Katla frowned. Why wasn’t the vampire attacking her? Still tense, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. The vampire continued to stare. Katla decided to ask a question of her own. “Who were you expecting?”

The vampire’s eyes shifted around the chamber, taking in the bodies behind Katla. The air seemed thick with tension. _Well, it’s pretty obvious I killed those vamps. And she’s one of them. Why hasn’t she attacked yet?_

“I was expecting someone… like me, at least.” The vampire gaze moved from the slain vampires back to Katla. “And you’re not…like me.”

Katla sighed. “Obviously, I’m not. I was sent here by a man named Isran. He leads the Dawnguard.”

The name didn’t seem to ring any bells with the mysterious woman. Katla decided to continue on. Probably better to avoid mentioning that she worked for a group of vampire hunters. “Why were you locked away like this?”

The vampire broke eye contact with Katla to give the sarcophagus a glance. “That’s…complicated. And I’m not totally sure if I can trust you.” 

_Fair enough_ , Katla thought. _But Isran sent me to get information. I’ve got to at least find out who she is._ Plus, the thing strapped to the vampire’s back was…an enigma. Some sort of scroll? That _definitely_ warranted more investigating. 

“If you want to know the whole story, help me get back to my family’s home.” The vampire was back to eyeing Katla, gauging whether or not the warrior would attack. 

After a quick moment of deliberation, Katla sheathed her sword. She did want to know the whole story, otherwise she’d be returning to Isran practically empty-handed. And the vampire had had plenty of opportunities to attack, but had answered Katla’s questions instead. Well, half-answered them. 

“Okay. Where do you need to go?”

It seemed like the ghost of a smile touched the vampire’s lips before she answered. “An island west of Solitude. Hopefully we can find a boat to take us there.”

Katla frowned. “I’ve never heard of such a place, and I’ve been in Haafinger quite a few times.”

The woman flicked her eyes momentarily away from Katla. “It’s…not really an easily place to stumble upon. Or friendly to travelling strangers, if you know what I mean. Not the most welcoming place. Depending on who’s around though, I should be safe there.”

Questions swirled around in Katla’s head, but she pushed them aside. Now wasn’t the time to find out the vampire’s backstory. She just needed to know why this woman was so important, escort her back to this mysterious island, and then report to Isran. Katla then realized that she still didn’t know the vampire’s name.

_Well, if we are going to be travelling together, I might as well introduce myself_ , Katla thought. “I’m Katla,” she said, feeling awkward.

Once again, Katla could’ve sworn she saw a smile flicker briefly across the vampire’s face. “My name is Serana. Good to meet you.” 

Katla almost laughed. Here she was, conversing civilly with a vampire, who was going to be her new travelling companion. She still had so many questions she wanted to ask Serana, but felt it was best to exit Dimhollow first. “Any idea how to get out of here?”

Katla walked slowly towards the other end of the chamber, looking for a way out. Serana followed her, making practically no noise. 

“Your guess is as good as mine,” the vampire responded. “This place looks pretty different from when I was locked away.” 

_How long was she in this horrid place?_ Katla wondered as she scanned the cavern. Serana had made it pretty clear that she’d only give Katla half answers until they were at her home safely, and Katla had a hard time suppressing her curiosity. 

She spotted a stone bridge opposite of the stairs she had climbed down to get into the cavern, and motioned to Serana to follow her. Katla reached behind her, unstrapping the shield that hung on her back, and readied her sword. Nothing moved in the darkness ahead, but Katla didn’t want to take any chances. Dimhollow Crypt had already surprised her more than once. 

They were halfway across the bridge when a low rumble filled the air. Katla’s eyes darted around, trying to find the source of the noise. 

“Gargoyles!” Serana exclaimed, quickly unsheathing a dagger and conjuring a spell in her other hand. 

Two huge stone statues were slowly coming to life, shaking off stone debris and dust. Katla’s eyes widened. _By the Divines…_

The gargoyle closest to her flew into the air, screeching. Katla quickly raised her shield and rolled, narrowly avoiding the beast’s outstretched claws. She charged forward, slashing at the second gargoyle. It exploded into dust after Katla took its head clean off with a swipe of her sword. 

Katla turned just in time to see the second gargoyle’s flight interrupted with a blast of ice. It plummeted to the ground, crashing into the cavern’s floor where it lay for a moment before it too disintegrated. 

Serana met Katla’s astonished gaze with a smirk. “Well? Let’s get going.” 

_Damn, she’s good,_ Katla marvelled. While her experience with magic was limited, she knew enough to recognize a talented mage when she saw it. Katla was suddenly glad that the vampire was fighting with her, not against her.

They climbed a set of stairs and entered a smaller chamber with a barred gate. Katla kept a good grip on her sword, eyeing the rows of coffins that lined the chamber’s walls. She hesitantly pulled the lever, fearing some sort of trap. While the gate sprang open, so did the coffins—and out poured a handful of shrieking undead.

Katla almost laughed—skeleton warriors were easy, in her book—and barrelled through them, slashing and bashing occasionally with her shield. Next to her, a draugr fell with an icicle embedded in its chest. Katla didn’t have time to spare Serana a glance before she was forced to block a blow from a notched axe. The blow was stronger than she had anticipated, and she stumbled back slightly before taking out her assailant with a few well-placed strokes. 

On the other side of the room, Serana was finishing off a small group of skeletons with a barrage of ice spikes. Jumping into the fray, Katla quickly slashed the legs out from one of them, rolled to avoid a wild swing of a draugr’s sword and was about to cut it down when Serana’s dagger appeared in its throat. 

The chamber fell silent, aside from a few rolling bones of the dismantled skeleton warriors. 

“Thanks, but I had that under control,” said Serana. The vampire avoided Katla’s gaze and bent to retrieve her dagger. 

Katla almost rolled her eyes. “Listen, if I don’t get you out of here alive than I don’t get any answers. And that won’t really sit right with the guy who sent me here.”

Serana followed her through the gate. “You said his name was Isran, right? Leader of the Dawnguard…and what exactly is that?” The vampire’s tone hinted that she knew _something_ of the group’s purpose. 

“Um…Can we discuss this later?” Katla held an arm out to stop Serana. They had walked into a large amphitheatre, where a dark figure sat slumped over on a dais in the middle. A few undead slowly ambled around; they thankfully hadn’t noticed the two. 

In a low voice, Katla cursed for what was probably the thousandth time since entering this blasted Crypt. She crouched down, ready to pick off a few of the undead with her Dawnguard-issued crossbow, when a ball of fire blasted into one of them, narrowly missing Katla’s head in its flight. 

She spun around, about to tell Serana off— _damn vampire almost blew my head off_ —when the dark figure on the throne slowly got to its feet. 

“Pick the others off,” she shouted at the vampire before running towards the dais. “I’ll get this big bastard.” 

The massive draugr was fully on its feet, and had turned towards Katla as she approached. Its glowing blue eyes fixated on her and it raised a battle-axe. Dropping to the ground, Katla managed to roll and avoid being cut in half. She raised her sword and shield in a defensive position, blocking another hit and countering with a few hacks that seemed to do nothing. 

Gritting her teeth, Katla skirted backwards on the dais and up a few steps, hoping to gain the higher ground. From the corner of her eye she could see Serana shooting fire into undead, scattering them around the amphitheatre. 

Katla blocked another blow from the draugr’s massive axe, feeling the muscles in her shield arm groan. She was panting, and her armour felt ten times heavier. Katla advanced further up the amphitheater’s sides, trying desperately to dodge each blow. 

Then, the draugr opened its mouth and Katla’s eyes widened. She tried to move out of the draugr’s line of sight, but tripped on one of the stone benches that lined the stadium. 

“ _FO KRAH DIIN!”_

The Shout hit Katla straight in the chest. Frost accumulated on her steel armour and she gasped for breath, getting to one knee and raising her shield just in time. 

The battle-axe smashed through her shield and Katla felt a splintering pain in her left arm. She cried out and struck at the draugr with her sword desperately. It recoiled, and Katla quickly shook off the remnants of her shield, ignoring the flashes of pain. 

_I’m running out of options…if this is really how I enter Hircine’s hunting grounds, then I’m taking this bastard down with me!_

Katla barrelled into the draugr, her left arm hanging uselessly at her side, slashing wildly with her good arm. It staggered, then dropped to the ground. 

Gasping for air, Katla dropped down next to unmoving draugr. Only then did she notice the massive icicle that was impaling it. She looked up to see Serana standing over her. 

“Are you alright?” 

Katla could’ve sworn she heard a touch of concern in the vampire’s voice. She grinned slightly, tasting blood. “I will be. Thanks,” she said, jerking her chin towards the felled draugr, “I owe you one.” 

She staggered to her feet, ignoring her screaming muscles, and stumbled over to where she had fell. Her shield was completely smashed, but the crossbow must’ve fallen off during the fight. It was damaged as well, and Katla had no idea how to fix it.

_Damnit. I bet Isran will have something snarky to say about me smashing Dawnguard equipment._

Her pack lay further down the amphitheatre steps, and Katla frantically felt around until she found one of her dwindling supply of healing potions. She uncorked it and drained the whole thing in one go. The shattered bones in her left arm began to magically repair themselves and Katla grimaced. Healing was often an unpleasant experience.

Katla turned back to Serana, who was standing silently, lost in thought. The Nord smiled slightly. “Good as new. Now let’s find that exit.” 

She was headed towards thegate at the other side of the stadium when a chanting voice to her right made Katla stop in her tracks. 

_Damn. Damndamndamn—_

And then, as if her feet were not her own, she was hurrying towards the Word Wall, eyes wide and ears filled with echoing, chanting voices, the Word swirling around her until some small part of her mind _understood_ … and then it was over. 

Katla gritted her teeth. Of all the places to find one, _here_ , while a maybe-evil vampire was steps away…

She met Serana’s gaze briefly than motioned to the gate without saying anything. Her arm itched slightly under her armour—another annoying side effect of healing potions—and her head was beginning to pound. Katla was sure Serana wanted to know what _that_ was all about, but thanked the Divines the vampire wasn’t asking her any questions. 

Reaching the door, Katla gave it a shove. With a screech of ages-old iron, it opened to reveal a passage out. The sunlight was visible and Katla breathed a sigh of relief. With a quick glance at Serana, she shouldered her pack and headed out. 


End file.
